Discussions
by Elsha
Summary: Anne and Theodore's correspondence over the summer. Explaining cricket may take time, but their world is growing swiftly darker and the battles are coming closer to home. Sequel to Distractions.
1. Summer Time

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A/N: And here it is, nearly on time - the sequel to Distractions. Some of you may be wondering why Today is a Gift appeared during our exam time. That would be because TiaG is (mostly) Mira's, and Discussions is (mostly) Elsha's, and Mira managed to find the time to post it. Updates, unfortunately, depend on Elsha remembering to give Mira the next chapter back, so you'll know where the blame lies if it's almost time for book six and we're still on chapter one. ;)   
Anyway, enjoy Discussions. In other news - Distractions has got a beta (thanks Aerin!) so that's the cause of any updates there - no sudden epilogue! It has also been accepted at the Sugar Quill (a fairly well-known HP fanfic site) which is a cause for much rejoicing. J 

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Chapter One - Summer Time

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July 7, 1996  
Dear Anne,  
I hope your trip home was okay. Mine was fairly uneventful, except for Malfoy. He decided to go and ambush Potter, along with Crabbe and Goyle. I don't know why he bothers; he does it every trip up and down , and he's always the one who comes out worst. He's not too bright in some areas, revenge being one of them. When he hadn't returned after an hour, I went to check on the ambush site; they'd all been hexed until they were nearly unrecognisable and hung up on a coat rack. Since the nearest compartment happened to be full of Potter's supporters - various Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws - I drew my own conclusions. 

Home seemsrather empty. My mother is occupying herself by aiding in plans; I suspect she has been given a projected date for my father getting out of Azkaban, as she isn't as upset as I had thought. The Dementors rebelling will certainly help. However, our house-elf is cowering whenever she so much as lays eyes on it, so I do suspect she has been in a bad temper. I'm honestly surprised by the lack of things happening; no attacks, and it has been a good two weeks. The tension isn't good. I have been practising the piano quite a bit. The house is far too silent otherwise. 

But enough of that. How are you, and how is your family? I hope they're listening to what has happened, they will need to know. Tell me if your sister gets a Hogwarts letter. What House do you think she will be in? 

My OWL results should be arriving in about three weeks. I'm a little worried about the Astronomy one, given the interruption, and also Transfiguration - neither has ever been my strong point. But I guess time will tell. That seems to be what I have to say about most things lately. Thankfully I don't have too much homework over the holidays, as a lot of courses are mark-dependent; I may not make it into some of them. But I do have some background reading. If I recall correctly, you won't have too much - I didn't last summer - but a lot of Potions. As always. 

Yours sincerely,  
Theodore

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July 9, 1996  
Dear Theo,  
My trip home was nowhere near as eventful as yours seems to have been! Just noisy. But then, I _was_ in a compartment with a bunch of teenage girls, so I don't know what I expected. One of my friends - Gabby - finally worked up the courage to ask out another fourth-year she's been mooning over for months, so all she could talk about was Chris Cullen and how wonderful he is. I have never been so relieved to see King's Cross in all my life. If I ever start to go on like that, you have my permission to shoot me. 

It's wonderful to be back home. I've missed my family so much, and my sisters have grown - a lot! Theresa (my next-oldest sister) is getting quite worked up over the possibility of a Hogwarts letter. I'm quite scared that she won't get one - I _think _she's been showing the signs, but what if she doesn't have enough magic? I know my brother Edmund was very disappointed when he didn't get one. He was quite nasty about me being a witch for a while after that. He seems to have got over it - he's busy this summer with his cricket team, and apparently he's a good player, so he seems happy enough. 

My parents, now - I have tried to explain to them about He Who Must Not Be Named and everything, but they don't treat it as quite real. They never have really believed in magic; oh, they see it in Diagon Alley, they know I'm a witch, they're happy about it, but they don't think it can ever affect them. They think it's a whole lot of scaremongering, the Death Eaters and everything. You'd think the Ministry had been at them. I'm going to talk to the Martins about it. They're the closest wizarding family; Priam Martin works in the Muggle Liaison office, he's responsible for preparing reports to the Muggle Prime Minister if there are things he needs to know. He has some Muggle relatives, and his wife's a Muggle, so he understands their world very well. His wife is lovely, she took my mother and me to Diagon Alley the first time to get my school things. It was them who explained about the wizarding world to us when I got my letter. Elise, their eldest, is going to be a second-year in Hufflepuff. I baby-sit for them sometimes; I'm trying to save up for a broom for when I leave Hogwarts, I don't really need one now, since I never play Quidditch or anything. Do you have a broom? Silly question, you probably do. 

Oh dear, this letter is getting quite long, isn't it? I should probably stop now

Yours,  
Anne

PS What's your owl's name? She's gorgeous!

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July 10, 1996  
Hey, Anne-girl,  
How're you doing? How's your family? I'm so glad to be home, with everything going on. My parents are really worried, they're suggesting I not go back next year, honestly, what's their problem? We're not going to be attacked at Hogwarts! They want me to go to Beauxbatons or something. It's tempting, it'd be really neat to go to school in France (even if my French isn't that great.) And a lot of the boys who came over for the Triwizard Tournament were pretty cute. But it'd be a big change, and besides, I'd miss all of you too much. You should come over to my house sometime, it's not so far by Floo network, and your neighbours are connected aren't they? I have no one to talk to, it's dead boring here, and it's only the first week! I'm going to invite Ellie and Mai and Gabby too, what d'ya say, we can have a girls-only day! Please?   
Love  
Sarah

PS And if I went to Beauxbatons I couldn't be Prefect next year, and I've got my fingers crossed about that. 

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July 12 1996  
Dear Anne,  
Don't worry about long letters, honestly, I'm not exactly going to get much other correspondence this summer. Our house is pretty far removed from everywhere, typical pureblood paranoia, and the only people likely to visit are a) Death Eaters (and thus far too likely to want to recruit me) or b) family (who are either in category a, as good as in category a, tiresome little brats, or have been kicked from the family for not liking those in category a, and thus will not be visiting.) The only letters I am likely to receive are my OWL results and possible one from Malfoy if he's bored. But that will be all about him, and after five years of being in his dorm, that is one topic I know far too much about. 

If your sister is going to get a letter, it will probably be about late July; that's when I got mine, at any rate. But they might send them out at a different time to Muggle households, I don't know. As for magic, it is actually quite common for Muggleborn witches or wizards to have siblings at Hogwarts, possibly more so than for us (given that second or third children are rare in pureblood families, especially if the eldest child is a son.) 

I don't know the Martins, but I do know a little bit about the Muggle liaison office. They generally have Muggleborn witches or wizards working there, because they know the Muggles best. According to the Daily Prophet, and the far more reliable source of my mother, Fudge has decided not to tell the Muggle Prime Minister anything except that the Dark Lord has returned; he has already been informed about the Azkaban breakout, and I suppose the incident at the Ministry too. The Muggles are going to be supremely unprepared, I think, which will probably lead to quite a few casualties. I hope the Martins can persuade your parents of the truth of the matter. Then again, they may be reluctant to let you return to Hogwarts if they get too scared, so it could be in your better interests for them to be disbelieving. 

I do own a broom, but it isn't very good - a Comet 260. Then again, I don't have a hope in hell of trying out for the Quidditch team, and I've always preferred watching the sport to playing it, so I guess it doesn't matter all that much. The Comet line is okay, but if you're saving for a broom, I'd get a Cleansweep, they're better for long distance flying and that's really the point of an everyday broom, you don't need massive acceleration or anything. They're not too expensive either. There's a really good magazine which would probably have all the information you'd want, it's called _Which Broomstick?_ I think that Quality Quidditch Supplies in Diagon Alley would have it, or alternatively, you could ask one of your friends if they have a brother or boyfriend who has a copy they could borrow for you. I don't think many of the boys at school don't have access to it. Is there an equivalent obsession for Muggles? I'd hate to not be able to follow Quidditch. 

My owl's name is Bronwyn, if you're really interested. I got her at the end of last year as a present for doing well in the end-of-year exams - before that I had to use the family owl, which is unnamed (too sentimental for my parents) and very cranky. I lived in fear I'd lose a finger. I hope your owl doesn't have similar tendencies. 

Yours sincerely,  
Theo

PS What on earth is cricket? 

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Memo  
Department of Magical Law Enforcement  
To: Io Hartley, Auror Division  
Ms Hartley,   
We need you to set up a team in charge of surveillance of the families of known or suspected Death Eaters, in Azkaban or not. We think that their post and possibly surveillance of their households may reveal valuable information on future Death Eater movements. Because of the official Ministry position for the last year, we're running blind here. We are assigning Johanna Beaumont as your second in charge of analysing the intercepted communications and Aethelred Fawcett as your second in charge of fieldwork. Please meet with them to co-ordinate setting up the necessary surveillance as soon as possible. 

Amelia Bones  
Head, DMLE

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Memo  
Auror Division  
To: Johanna Beaumont

Jo, you'll have heard you're in charge of reading the letters. I've dug up the old owl interception scheme used in the last war and attached it to this. We just don't have enough people to cover everyone so you'll have to concentrate on the families of known Death Eaters. I don't anticipate any major problems with this, but the important thing is not to let them know they're being watched – this only works for as long as they're writing freely. You'll need to be aware at all times of the possibility of a ruse, of course. Your team is in charge of receiving the copied letters and collating any information contained. 

Io Hartley

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July 15 1996  
Anne!  
You so have to come to Sarah's in August. We can't all make it 'till then, you know Ellie's over in France until the first, but the rest of us can. Say you will? Sarah says you haven't written back. My summer's not going so bad, I got all the homework out of the way so I have lots of time to laze around. My tan is getting better every day, what with all this great weather we've been having. You working on yours? What about your flute playing? You spent all that time on that at Hogwarts, you should be taking a break now! (Of course, we all know you were off snogging your secret Slytherin boyfriend) I don't think this summer will be too boring. I'm owling Chris a lot - I'm so glad I worked up the courage to ask him! He's _perfect_. Sweet and kind and - yeah, I know, you don't want me to go on about it. I'll go and daydream instead. You know, you should get a boyfriend. It's fun. 

Love,  
Gabby

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July 16 1996  
Dear Theo,  
So much for me thinking I'd written too much. You must have been really on a roll. I seem to be doing an awful lot of this; I'm getting a few letters from my dormmates as well – Mai, Sarah, Gabby and Ellie. Mostly gossipy girl stuff, but it's nice to have some light relief (like Gabby prolaiming I need a boyfriendjust because _she_ has one.) Light relief is also coming in the form of babysitting – hard to worry about the deep issues of life when you're trying to persuade a seven year old (the middle Martin child) to go to bed. I enjoy babysitting them. It's interesting seeing a wizarding house – although as Mrs. Martin is a Muggle, the Martins have lots and lots of Muggle things. Then again, that does make it a bit easier when I'm trying to look after the kids. 

Speaking of the Martins, they've had a word to my parents and they seem to be taking things more seriously now. We sat down and had a bit of a talk about You Know Who, and the Death Eaters, and everything like that. I decided you were right about not wanting to scare them too much, so I did leave a little bit out, but I told them enough to let them know that this is serious, it's real, and it could affect us. But I also pointed out that we're not exactly frontline targets or anything. My youngest sister, Nicola, has also been asking why I'm writing so many letters; I told her that it wasn't that many, and it was to friends. She is the world's most nosy creature, honestly, I wish I could lock my room. She comes in to look at Gwaihir and ends up going through my school things! Any and all letters are now stashed safely where she isn't going to find them. Fortunately she can't read too well, as she is only seven, because I caught her trying to read my first letter from you the other day (I'd been out in the garden, and came back in to find her in my room.) Siblings. Honestly. You don't want them, believe me. 

You did mention tiresome little brats, if I remember correctly, so you do have some young relatives. Cousins? My mother's an only child but my father has three sisters and a brother so I have about ten cousins of different ages, ranging from twenty to two. They live scattered all over England, France, and even one in New Zealand, so family gatherings aren't common, but are big. 

Thanks for the advice on the magazine - I think I'll get a copy when I go in to pick up my school supplies. As I said, I probably won't be getting a broomstick 'till next summer, but it can't hurt to think about it. The Muggle obsession would, I guess, be football. It's only got one ball and eleven players per side - there's a goal at each end of a field and you have to kick the ball into the goal. You can hit it with anything except your hands, except for the goalie, who stands in the goal to guard it, and can use his hands. I used to play football at school a bit when I was younger - it was great fun. My brother plays it in the winter, and so does Theresa, but right now Ed is playing cricket. That's very complicated, but basically someone throws a ball at you and you have to hit it with a wooden bat. Then you run a certain distance, and for every distance you run you score a point. You stand in front of three wooden sticks, and if you miss the ball and it hits the sticks, or you're running and someone throws it at the sticks (called stumps) you're out, and the next person takes your place until everyone on your team is out. Then you swop sides. It's more fun than that, but I'm not good at explaining. 

Oops, here comes dear Nicola again. I am definitely asking for a lock! 

Love from,   
Anne

PS No, Gwaihir doesn't peck. He's very sweet. 

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July 16 1996  
Salut, Anne,  
Ça va?   
Of course, even now I'm in France, that's the limit of my French, but hey, who cares. The scenery is exellent, the weather's great, and I'm in the French Riviera. What more can I ask for? The wizarding shops and the Muggle ones are both very good, and I am having far too much trouble deciding what to buy with my limited funds. Clothes, probably, and some touristy stuff as a souvenir. I hope you're having fun back in Englandpoor you, nothing to do. Hah. Only one and a half months 'till Hogwarts again, eh?   
Hope this postcard reaches you okay. 

Love,  
Ellie

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July 19, 1996  
Dear Anne  
Just wondering – you mentioned your dormmates, were those the girls I saw you with the day that you tripped me up in the corridor? I seem to remember one of them was Asian, she was giving me some pretty dirty looks – fair enough, I suppose – and Mai sounds like an Asian name. I never did apologise about what I said then, did I? Sorry. Even if it is a couple of months too late. I tend to try to blend in to the company I'm keeping, and when it's Malfoy – no, that's an excuse. I shouldn't have called you what I did. 

Relatives - no, not too many of those here. My mother's uncle, Andrew Jugson, was killed by the Aurors in the last war; her elder brother was in Azkaban, and he's back in there at the moment. My grandparents are all still alive. My closest relatives apart from them are on my father's side, like you - his elder sister Karena and her family. She married Paul Amberley, who works for a publishing company, and also owns quite a bit of the _Daily Prophet_. They have two children, Celia and Lucas. Lucas is eight, and a more annoying kid you would be pushed to find. Celia is thirteen, she's in Ravenclaw - very bright, very cunning, far too hard to lie too. I'm a bit wary of her, to be honest, she has a tendency to be nosy (like your youngest sister, it seems.) She's going to get into trouble one day with that; she'll hear something she shouldn't, or she'll say something she shouldn't, and she'll have to be dealt with. Mind you, she is only thirteen, so she won't have too many opportunities to get into serious trouble, this summer anyway. And she is a Ravenclaw.   
I sort of wish I had siblings, sometimes. Especially now. The house is just so damn quiet, most of the time, with only me and Mum home. And she spends so much time in the study. It would be good to have someone to talk to - I used to talk a lot to my father in the evenings, just about what I'd done that day, or his work, or just anything, really. I can't see that happening for a while, if ever again. They'll be watching our house, when he does escape. You're so lucky, Anne - you have so much less to worry about. Apart from if-okay, you do have some things to worry about, but you've got all your family with you. That counts. 

Football and cricket sound rather complicated, but I'd have to say you can't beat Quidditch. I mean what's the point of a sport where there's only one ball and everyone stays on the ground? Give me broomsticks any day. 

Have you been playing your flute much? It must be hard, with so many people in your house. Does anyone else in your family play music? My mother plays the harp quite well, she's the one who insisted that I learn the piano, she's very into knowing things like that. I haven't seen her play it since I got back from Hogwarts, though. She makes me learn French as well. D'you speak any French? I have a feeling you might know a bit, but I'm not sure. 

Oh, and by the way, why is your owl named Gwaihir? I've never heard that before. Bronwyn is Bronwyn because she's really dark brown and Bronwyn means dark. Partly, anyway. 

Yours  
Theo

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July 21 1996  
Dear Theo  
Yeah, Mai's Asian. Her family's from Vietnam, actually, her parents came out here about - oh, ten years ago. Not sure why, I think her father used to be some sort of diplomat but retired from that and decided he wanted to stay in England. She's quite smart, Mai, definitely the most sensible of my friends. Gabby lives up to her name no end, plus, her world begins and ends with boys. I've never quite got that. I mean, boys are perfectly okay as friends and all that. I mean, here I am, writing a letter to one. You. It's just going out and everything to do with that. Why do people spend so much time thinking about it? But - um, I think I'm digging myself into a large hole here, so I'll just stop. I think that's a good idea. Yes. So, Gabby is boy-obsessed, and my friend Ellie - tall, dark hair, you probably saw her - isn't too much better. She does pay attention to the world around her, which is a bonus. Sarah, the other fourth-year Hufflepuff girl, has her head screwed on, but tends to gossip, and takes things a bit seriously. Her break-up with her boyfriend meant she didn't talk to him for the rest of the year. What's the point in that? 

But you don't want to hear about my girlfriends and their lives. Celia Amberleythink I might know her, well, by sight, anyway. Average height, quite dark but blue eyes, nose always in the air. 

Music? My family is fairly musical, more than most. My mother plays the piano a bit, my sister Theresa plays the 'cello, Edmund the violin, although he's given it up for sport. Nicola doesn't play anything, she'd drop it. The amount of plates we lose every year by getting her to set the table, you wouldn't believe it. Still I suppose she might be okay on the piano, it's kind of hard to drop that on anyone. I could believe she'd end up tipping it over, though - it'd just be so Nicola. To tell you the truth, I'm probably giving you an unfair picture of her; she's a totally adorable kid at times, especially when she's asking me to read her a story or she's listening to me play the flute. She's so quiet, it's the only time she is. Tucked up in the corner like a little mouse. She loves to listen to music, any sort, and to dance to it as well - she's starting ballet classes next year, she's been begging Mum to let her for ages. 

I've been playing the flute quite a bit, for Nicola, and just for me. And for my parents, once; they were impressed I'd kept up practice over the school year so much. I told them about you. Don't go all thin-lipped on me; just that I'd found someone who played the piano, or rather, you'd found me, and we'd been playing together. Yes, I mentioned your name, no, not your House, and God knows nothing about your family. I've had quite enough trouble persuading my parents that Death Eaters are a danger as it is without complicating things. 

I should probably go to bed now. It's getting a bit late. Summer evenings are so deceptive. 

Love from  
Anne

PS Gwaihir is named after a bird in a Muggle book. Just don't ask. And don't worry about the corridor thing, I'd forgotten, honestly. I did feel a bit hurt at the time, since you never said anything, but it would be impossible to be around you for five minutes if I couldn't take some flak. 

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July 21, 1996  
Anne,   
I'm glad you're coming to Sarah's on Friday! It feels like forever since we've seen you. I know it's only been about three weeks, but the holidays are just so boring – nothing's happening. I wish something interesting would happen, then I'd have something to write about! As it is, it's dead quiet where I am. Mind you, I suppose that there are a lot of things that could be happening which we don't want to, so. That reminds me – do you want to come and stay for the weekend in August? My parents are going away, they're leaving my brother in charge – you remember him, he just finished Hogwarts. Anyway, they say I can have a friend over for that weekend, so d'you want to come? It'd be the third to the fifth. I thought it'd be good for you to stay in a wizarding household and see how it is. And then maybe I can come over later in August and see what a Muggle household is likeplease? Write back soon – well, I'll see you on Friday, won't I?   
Love,   
Mai


	2. Eye on the Owls

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A/N: And here is chapter two. Read. Enjoy. Review if you feel like it, why not? 

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Chapter Two – Eye on the Owls

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July 24 1996   
Dear Miss Fairleigh,   
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.   
Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July. 

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall  
Deputy Headmistress

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Memo  
Auror Department  
Surveillance on Nott Household  
To: Johanna Beaumont, Henry Phillips, Dion Archer, Edith Westfell

To all members of the owl post surveillance team:  
First, congratulations on a job well done. As far as we can detect no member of any of the households which we are keeping an eye on is aware of what we are doing. While this is probably due to the fact that the Death Eaters normally resident in said households are in our custody, it is also due to your handling of the case. Well done.   
Second - it has been noted that Theodore Nott (son of Eric Nott) appears to be conducting correspondence with a Muggle household in Essex. We have not yet been able to figure out a way to open the letters sent back to him without showing our interference, as the sender is using Muggle envelopes. Enclosed are copies of the three letters sent by Nott jr so far; it is possible he is using some kind of code. I would like all team members to give me their thoughts on this (and also methods of opening and resealing Muggle envelopes.)  
Io Hartley  
Household Surveillance Team

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Memo  
Auror Department  
Re: Nott Household  
To:Io Hartley

Ms Hartley and fellow team members  
As far as I can discern the letters do not appear to be in any code, but there is definitely something suspicious going on - there is no reason for a Death Eater's son to be carrying on correspondence with someone from a Muggle area. The addressee on the outgoing letters has been identified as a Muggleborn witch, age fifteen, with no previous known links to Theodore Nott or his family. It is suspected her name is being used as a cover. This may indicate a breach of security if our surveillance is suspected. I suggest several courses of action.  
1)Someone be assigned to research the recipient of Nott's letters  
2)A survey of wizarding households in the Essex area to identify any others the letters may be coming from  
3)Someone attempt to match the contents of Nott's letter to any identifiable events  
4)Ladies and gentlemen, I know at least one of is Muggleborn. You're Aurors. You're SMART. How in Merlin's name do you open and reseal a damn envelope!  
Regards  
Johanna Beaumont

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Memo  
Auror Division  
Re: The Nott problem  
To:Johanna Beaumont

Jo,   
I know that I'm fieldwork surveillance, not communications, but Edith showed me the letters, and after reading them I would like to respectfully suggest that we may be working this into something it isn't. After all, it is entirely conceivable that Theodore Nott DOES have a Muggleborn friend he's writing to, and that she is just using Muggle envelopes because she's Muggleborn. Nothing sinister about it. I know that Nott's father and other relatives are Death Eaters, but that doesn't make him one. I mean, look at my mother - she married a Muggleborn, and her sisters are Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy! I'm not saying the surveillance isn't necessary, just that we may be being overly paranoid, a la Mad-Eye.  
Cheers  
Tonks

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Memo  
Auror Division  
Re:Paranoia  
To:Nymphadora Tonks

Nymphadora,   
There is a war about to start. We can't be too paranoid. And your mother aside, are you seriously suggesting Eric Nott's son is engaging in correspondence with a Muggleborn Hufflepuff?   
Also, as you noted, you ARE fieldwork. Please stick to your area. Regards,  
Johanna Beaumont 

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Memo  
Auror Division  
Muggle Envelopes  
To: Dion Archer

Dion,  
You're Muggleborn, Beaumont's tossed the envelopes problem over to me. How in Merlin's name do you open a Muggle envelope and re-seal it? I must admit I'm pretty curious about what's inside. I mean, if it is a trick to stop the letters being read, it's a pretty good one. You generally don't get that sort of thing – I would have expected hexes rather than glue. Then again, I was chatting to Edith, and she says Tonks reckons we're making a mountain out of a molehill. She could be right. Just because Theodore Nott's father is a Death Eater doesn't mean he agrees with him – but then again  
Hal 

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Memo  
Auror Division  
Re:Muggle Envelopes  
To:Henry Phillips

Hal,  
Muggle envelopes are easy. You just run a hot iron over them, when they're under a towel, and you can glue them up again no worries. If you can't get a hot iron, I'll get one, but we'll need a Muggle Artefact Enchantment Permit. Shouldn't be too hard, Jo's really annoyed about this one – I think Hartley's on her tail about the letters – so she'll push it through. She'll be right. Tonks could be onto something, but I'm waiting till I can have a squizz at the other letters myself – see if it matches up.   
Dion

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Memo  
Auror Division  
Re:Envelope Issue

Johanna,  
Issue all sorted. Dion memoed me to tell me how to work it. Useful having a few Muggleborns around the place, isn't it?  
Apart from that, I opened, copied, and re-sent the latest letter. I'm telling you, Tonks may have had a point. It's all about music, gossip, and younger siblings. If the writer is Anne Fairleigh, she even mentions she hasn't explained to her parents she's writing to a Death Eater's son! I think these may be on the level.   
Regards  
Hal

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July 25, 1996  
Dear Theo,  
You haven't written back, so I'm writing to you again - because Theresa got her Hogwarts letter yesterday! She is utterly thrilled, and was dancing round the kitchen going on about how she's going to be a witch just like me. Edmund, I'm afraid, stormed off to his room. He really isn't taking this very well, but then, I guess that's not really unexpected; he did want to go so much, and then he didn't get a letter. Mum and Dad are very happy for Theresa, of course, but I can see they're rather worried - they're remembering what I told them about Voldemort, and, of course, I get the Daily Prophet, so now they've started reading it, and it's being so panicky. Did you get that free information guide from the Ministry about how to keep safe? Bit of a joke, I guess. I heard they'd been sent round, but we didn't get one, because we're not a wizarding household - there's just me, and now Theresa. Actually, if you did get a copy, could you send me it? No offence, but you aren't exactly likely to be attacked. Well, maybe by Aurors or something.   
That was unfair. Ignore it.   
  
We're taking Theresa to Diagon Alley in a few days to get her school things. I know school isn't for another two months or so, so we'll be leaving most of it, but just the books and her wand, so she can start practising - and reading. There's no rule says you can't try magic before you start school, after all, and she really wants to. I think I'm going to teach her Wingardium Leviosa, that's the first spell we did in Charms, and probablyI'm not sure. I won't be able to demonstrate. But we'll see. I think she'll be a Ravenclaw, she's so into learning and finding things out, I'm being drained dry with questions! I think I'll farm her out to the Martins, they can answer better.   
  
Which brings me to the other thing I meant to write about. The attack, yesterday. Looks like it's started. I got a very scared letter from Ellie. Those people - the Croakers - they live really near her. She's over in France, at the moment, but she's coming back on the first of August. I think she'll be okay. She isn't Muggleborn. But I'm worried. How did they choose? Alfred Croaker was just a random Ministry worker, he wasn't - not anything special, or his wife, and they were the first to go. Why them? Why anyone, when it comes down to it, what's the point in all this?   
Now I'm working myself up. Ah well, I get to go to Diagon Alley on Fridayback in the magic world. I honestly can't wait.   
Love from  
Anne

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July 26 1996  
Salut, Anne  
Glad to hear you and the others had a nice get together at Sarah's. I really wish I could have come – although France is really cool. Mind you, I'm getting back in five days, so I'll see y'all then. I hear Mai's asked you over for the weekend – I think you'll have lots of fun, being in a wizarding house, we're all used to it but I've visited my Muggle relatives' houses a few times and it's just so different. Funny you've never actually stayed at Mai or Gabby's before, but then we usually communicate by letters, anyway, and half the time half of us are away over the summer. It was you last year off up to Scotland for two weeks, wasn't it?   
  
I'm taking lots and lots of photos to show you when I get back. Including one of me with this really nice Beauxbatons boy I met at the beach. His name's Phillipe, and he's really great to talk to – it turns out that we both take Care of Magical Creatures, so we were talking about that. He's heard lots about Hogwarts from the students at his school who came over for the Triwizard Tournament.   
Gotta go. Still got some tanning to do before we come home!  
Ellie

__

July 27, 1996  
Dear Anne,  
Sorry about not replying. I meant to, but I had to hide your letter quickly when my aunt and cousins came over, and to tell the truth, I forgot where I put it. Celia's so damn nosy, it had to be hidden pretty well. They've been over a lot more this summer, I suppose because of my father and everything surrounding that. I have a strong suspicion my aunt is more – directly involved, shall we say, than my mother is, due to the fact that we (my cousins and I) are always sent somewhere else while they're talking. I am certain that she is the source of most of my mother's information in that area. The Ministry is curiously blind in that respect – they seem to assume that women are less likely to be involved in Death Eater activities – or at the least less dangerous. It's true that you do get a few like Bellatrix Lestrange who are convicted, but from all accounts, including my parents', she was pretty much insane before she went into Azkaban. She's probably worse now. You must have read in the paper when she escaped about what happened to Neville Longbottom's parents. But most of the wives of people who were investigated for Death Eater activities and discharged were never tried themselves – like my mother and aunt, or Draco Malfoy's mother. I know that my mother – at least, I'm fairly sure there was nothing to investigate, however much she may have known, but my aunt is an entirely different matter. I'm far more concerned about her working out what I really think about the Dark Lord than anyone else in my family – she's the one Celia inherited her nosiness from, but I think Celia is actually smarter. My aunt certainly tries to keep her precious children from knowing about what really goes on; she thinks they're too young to know about it. She's right. But Celia has picked up more than she thinks; she was in my room yesterday, the little brat, trying to worm information out of me. I told her to get lost, but she still hung around for far too long. Lucas, at least, will go off and distract himself for five minutes – Celia is lost without something to read, and enjoys irritating me.   
  
Quite enough self-pity about my cousins. I don't have to live with them, at least! Tell your sister congratulations on getting her letter. I think it'll be good for you to have some family in Hogwarts, remember the conversation we had about family and missing them? I do, anyway, mainly because I ended up yelling at you and that isn't something I do very often – in fact, I don't think I did at any other point. I think I startled myself as much as you.   
  
Your parents are probably right to worry a bit. Hogwarts will not be as safe as it has been for Muggleborns, now the Dark Lord is in the open – many of my House will feel it necessary to be more active in harassing them. I know you've experienced a little of that yourself, but it will be worse for your sister being younger and starting at this time. Look after her. She'd be okay in Ravenclaw – it's traditionally a bit of an in-between House, some Death Eaters, but mostly fence sitters or those on the other side. We need a good noun for that. Continuing to say "those who oppose the Dark Lord" or something along those lines is so negative – it defines people by what they oppose rather than what they are. Then, that opposition unifies them. Certainly, I doubt I'd be writing to or even know you if it wasn't for the fact the Dark Lord had come back, and I had doubts about him, and wanted to forget the choices – and so chose to follow you that day to see where you were going, instead of going to the Quidditch. Funny how such little things matter.   
  
I wonder what I'd be doing if I didn't know you? Probably playing the piano, or just brooding. In any case, it would have been a very boring summer. Have I ever mentioned I'm glad you write to me? It gives me something to do – and to think about. Thanks, I suppose.   
  
Mind you, you are indirectly responsible for an astonishing number of lapses into sentimentality on my part, so it isn't all good. Never mind. I think I can put up with it – at least for continued letters. Only a month to go – on one hand I can't wait; on the other I'm dreading it. It does mean sharing a dorm with Malfoy and his ego for a whole year. Not to mention Crabbe and Goyle's idiocy and Zabini's blank stare. It's making slight boredom and a lack of decent accompaniment seem almost desirable. Not quite, however. I'm really missing playing together. I suppose I could ask my mother if she wanted to try finding something for harp and piano, but parents – well, they're parents.   
Now I'm home-sick for _school._ I'd really better stop now.   
Yours   
Theo

PS I think we may have got a copy of the information booklet thing you mentioned, so I'll dig around a bit for it. It's probably in the rubbish bin by now.   
Here we go – I've put it in. Not much there, to be honest, but you might find it useful. I was nearly caught by the house-elf getting it out. There would have been no excuse for that one.

__

July 31 1996  
Dear Theo   
Thanks for the information thing. You're right, it was vague, but then the last war was fourteen years ago and they have no idea what You Know Who is going to do next, so what can they write? You probably have a better idea than they do! Not to mention half of it is about putting up wards and that sort of thing, which we can't do. Or not till I'm seventeen, and that's not for another two years.   
Remember how I was invited to my friend Mai's for a weekend in August? It's this one. I'll be away from home from the second till the fifth, just in case you try owling me during that time. I'm really looking forward to it, I can't wait to go to a totally wizarding home. I've been over to my friend Sarah's once, but she has two Muggle grandparents so it was fairly ordinary. Mai's parents are both fullbloods, and they moved over from another country, so it'll be really different. I'll be meeting her younger sister, too, who's starting at Hogwarts this year – I think. Her older brother finished last year, he was in Gryffindor so I didn't see him more than once. Mind you, the only seventh-year Gryffindors I even knew the names of were the Weasley twins (being the Weasley twins – and having that splendid exit) and Lee Jordan who commentated the Quidditch matches. It's a shame he's gone, he was really entertaining, even if he was a bit biased towards Gryffindor. And against Slytherin, so I suppose you won't mind he's gone so much.   
  
I went down to the park and played soccer today. You remember I told you about it, my brother plays it? I used to when I went to a Muggle school, but I stopped once I started going to Hogwarts, because it's a winter sport so I couldn't do it over the summer holidays. Anyway, some of the girls I went to Muggle school with were down there, and a couple of them were kicking a ball around. Girls don't do that much, it's more a boy thing. Do girls play Quidditch just for fun? I know there are lots of girls on the House Quidditch teams, but I don't know whether wizards have the same thing about girls and sports that a lot of Muggles seem to have. I've never really asked.   
  
Anyway, I saw my old friends there, I was going for a walk with Terry – Theresa, that is – we were both really bored – and I asked if I could join in. I barely see these people anymore, going to Hogwarts; I hate the lying, hate the fact that I have to tell them I'm going to some public boarding school. It makes them think that I think I'm better than them somehow. I know what you'd say; they're Muggles, I'm a witch. But they were my friends, the people I grew up with, the ones I shared everything with before I went away. Sure, we had different interests, they didn't like music, I thought dolls were only mildly interesting, but we were friends. You'll have noticed the "were." It's for several reasons. One, there's the whole public school thing. Two, there's the fact that – well, we have nothing in common anymore. It was okay when Theresa and I were kicking the ball around with them, and not really talking, but once we stopped and started to chat – we had nothing to say. I've noticed this happening every summer, but it was never so obvious before now. Their lives have diverged so totally from mine. They wanted to know about the boys I knew, and if we had any dances, and whether I was on the netball team. I wanted to know what subjects they were doing, and who was still at school, who'd moved, who was in the orchestra. They thought my life sounded boring; I had to say we didn't have school dances, I didn't really know any boys (yes, I know that sounds stupid when I'm writing to you, but – you know what they meant. Boys as in liking boys. Anyway. ) I wasn't on the netball team. (Feel free to enjoy the mental image of me trying to play Quidditch.) They were doing subjects they liked but didn't love; they wanted to get out of school as soon as they could; they couldn't tell a quaver from a semi-breve. We stood around for a while, and then Theresa and I went home. I felt so – sad, seeing the great divide that had grown up between us. But it's because of my magic, because I'm a witch – not that I would ever tell them that. I can't. And I wouldn't give magic up for anything, for the world, even though it puts me in a world where people might want to kill me – because I love it so much, love learning about it and doing it and seeing our world which is so different to the boring, everyday one. I feel sorry for them, because they'll never have that. I can almost understand why some people do think Muggles are lesser, now I think about it; and that scares me, because I don't want to feel that way. My parents and my brother are Muggles! But then it helps me understand you a lot better, too, so I guess it's a good thing. I still wish I could have the friendship back – but I guess that's part of the price of magic.   
Love  
Anne

PS I understand about the cousins. Nicola can be more than irritating – but siblings are different. You love them anyway. Cousins can just be pests with no sibling-ship (I know it's not a word!) to soften it. 

PPS There's nothing wrong with sentimentality! And I thought Slytherins corrupted poor innocent Hufflepuffs – not the other way around. 

__

August 3rd 1996  
Anne,  
I suppose you heard about the attack from the paper? Looks like it has started after all. I just got an owl from Ellie, she's in a bit of a tizz about it. To be honest, I would be, too, it was in her town after all and that's way too close for comfort. A whole family gone, just like that. I didn't know either of the kids at Hogwarts but I think Gabby did, one of them was in her Muggle Studies class. I suppose Mai did as well. I'm really justwow, this is all happening so fast, and it's real. The Dark Mark, and everything. You Know Who is back, and the Dementors have left Azkaban, andyeah. Write soon. Have fun at Mai's place.   
Sarah

__

August 5 1996  
Mai and Anne,  
Hope this letter reaches you okay, three attacks in three days – this isn't good. You should be okay, they seem to be targeting Ministry people, but – that first one was too close. I mean, I knew those people, the Croakers, there are only five wizarding families in my area and they were one of them. I grew up playing with their kids. Their Dad worked for the Department of Mysteries, I guess that's why he was killed – after all, that incident with Harry Potter (the latest one, that is) happened there, didn't it? I didn't really think all these attacks would start so soon, the Ministry seems to have been caught off guard. Then again, they spent a whole year denying that You Know Who was back, so I guess they were caught off guard when it turned out to be true. And now we've wasted a whole year with that cow Umbridge not learning any practical defence – Fudge really is an idiot.   
  
Anyway, I hope you're having a good time together, Anne, how's life in a wizarding house? Much different? I think it's the little things that are the biggest differences, like how the cooking's done. The big things are pretty much the same. Except for TV, there's no TV, but then, you said you don't watch much.   
Mai, enjoying having your parents away? Mind you, your brother is probably quite strict. Still, I wish they'd go and leave me alone for a bit. Must be cool having the house practically to yourself, well, and your brother and sister. That reminds me, is Peggy starting Hogwarts next year? I've forgotten.   
Love,   
Ellie

__

August 6, 1996  
Dear Anne,   
I got my OWL results back yesterday. I think Mum's pretty pleased – they're not too bad considering. I wish I could tell Dad, but – I reckon I'll have the chance at some point soon. I just wish he'd been here when I got the letter, you know?   
  
Anyway, I passed everything – hooray! – except Care of Magical Creatures. But then, I always have done badly at that, so I'm honestly not worried. I'd probably have dropped it this year anyway. As it is, we do a lot fewer subjects in the last two years, and we have to send in our subject choices in the next two weeks – some of them are marks-dependent so we couldn't choose before then. I think I'll be doing Charms, Astronomy, History of Magic, Ancient Runes, Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration. Possibly Herbology, but probably not. For one, too much work, for another, I always put vicious man-eating plants on about the same mental level as Hagrid's interesting – that is to say, insane – collection of vicious, man-eating animals. Or birds, or reptiles. Or whatever the Blast-Ended Skrewts were. I intend to leave that sort of thing to people who enjoy risking their lives daily to no good purpose. There are some people in my class who actually _like_ the things. Mind you, the Hippogriffs in third year were fascinating, and the Thestrals werewell, weird. Did you get taken to see them? If you didn't, you might this year. They pull the carriages to and from the train station – there aren't very many people who can see them. There were only three in my class, Potter, Neville Longbottom – you might know him, Gryffindor and very clumsy, his parents were put in St. Mungo's by some of the Death Eaters who escaped last year – and me. You have to have seen someone die to be able to see them, so naturally there aren't very many who qualify.   
  
My marks aren't good enough to continue Potions, not that I mind. You have to be nearly perfect to continue. It was alright, but I always have preferred actually doing the magic – I know Snape gives his big speech every year about how only some people _appreciate_ Potions, and I was never one of them. I passed my OWL, I can make the basic ones without poisoning myself or blowing anything up, that's all I want to know. Charms and Transfiguration are much more interesting, there are so many things you can do – _and_ they don't take half as long. I can be a little impatient sometimes, and waiting ten days for a potion when a spell will do the work in ten minutes always seemed rather impractical. Do you enjoy the subject much? I know Snape is very hard on the non-Slytherin students, it gets quite ridiculous at times. I mean, Potter and his friends can be extremely rude, but accidentally-on-purpose knocking over Potter's potion so he fails is so childish. He's a teacher, really. I'm just glad I am in Slytherin.   
  
You'll be in for it this year with your OWLs coming up. They really are quite exhausting, and the amount of homework is nothing like what it is in any other year. I think half the point is to get rid of the really useless people by working them to death. Mind you, even Longbottom and Malfoy's two lackeys reached the end of the year without having nervous breakdowns, so it isn't working if that is the point. But you do learn a lot – in most subjects. Defence Against the Dark Arts was a different story, but you'll have a new teacher – I must say I really envy you that one. Umbridge didn't teach us anything useful for the exam. Or barely, anyway. I wish we'd had Lupin for this year – he may have been a werewolf, but he did know his stuff. Practically the only one who did. Or Moody, but since he wasn't who he claimed to be and half-insane besides I suppose it wouldn't be such a good idea. We do seem to get the dregs of the barrel with the Defence teachers. Here's hoping this year will be better.   
  
By the way, I never said you corrupted me. I merely said that you were responsible for a number of lapses on my account. I'm sure it can be beaten. I was never sentimental at all before I started writing to you. I feel I may be discovering the secret of why Salazar Slytherin wanted to ban Muggleborns. He knew they were part of a fiendish plot to weaken the wizarding world.   
  
Good God, now I've contracted frivolity as well. This is serious.   
Yours  
Theo

PS Hope you had a good time at your friend's, what was it, Mai? And don't worry about those girls at the park. You're part of our world, not theirs. I know you don't want to hear me say that, but it's true. You're one of us, not them. 

PPS I get what you mean about liking. Or not. It made sense, sort of. Actually, never mind.


	3. Close To Home

****

A/N:Chapter three, what do you know? There will only be one morequite soon, probably. And the next chapter of Today is a Gift _is_ coming, we promise! 

****

Chapter Three – Close to Home

__

August 12, 1996  
Dear Theo  
I saw the newspaper this morning. I think the headline might've been even bigger than the one when Fudge admitted that You-Know-Who was really back. Mind you, fair enough. It was always pretty obvious that they weren't going to be able to keep a grip on Azkaban after the Dementors left, but it sounds like they were really hoping that it'd last a bit longer. As it is, not everyone escaped, but pretty much all of the Death Eaters from the sound of things. But then, your sources on this are much better than the paper, so why am I repeating it all? I hope you get to see your Dad again pretty soon. He should be really proud of your OWL results, they were very good. I'll be lucky to do half as well – it's quite intimidating! 

But I'm still nervous about the fact that all those people escaped. First the Dementors, now this, and -- I've got every reason to be nervous. If the Ministry can't keep them locked up, what are they going to do with them if they do capture them again? Where are they going to put them? It's easy for the Death Eaters, they just kill anyone who's on the other side, but the Ministry have to have proper trials and all that. Are Aurors allowed to use the Unforgivables? I seem to remember reading something that said they were allowed to in the first war but I can't remember where. Then again, there are lots of other ways to kill people than to use Avada Kedavra, I mean even the simplest spells can probably be lethal if you do particular things with them, but I suppose they're the very worst. That's why they're called the Unforgivables. 

Do you think there's much chance of anything happening here? My parents seem to think it's all so far away but it isn't, it's the same country, it's people we both know. Cedric Diggory. He was in my House, after all. Not that there are very many wizards where I live, just the Martins, I told you about them, but Mrs. Martin's a Muggle and that's what the Death Eaters are against, isn't it? Not that you'd even think about it most of the time, she's totally happy in the magic world. I'd hate it if anything happened to them, their kids are so little – Elise is only twelve, and she's the oldest. It'd kill her. By the way, they got that information pack as well, and Mr. Martin came around to put up a couple of wards on our house. It wouldn't help all that much if the Death Eaters really did come, but it was a neighbourly thing to do, and it makes me feel better. 

In other (more happy! news), Theresa's got her wand! We made a short trip to Diagon Alley today just to do that and show her around, she'd never been there before. We're going to leave getting her other school things until the end of the month, but she was nagging Mum about it for so long, and between getting her wand and going to Hogwarts is the only chance she'll have to do any magic at home until she's seventeen, so Mum said yes. It was rowan and dragon heartstring, nine inches, "rather excitable" as Ollivander put it. It's Terry who's the excitable one! 

I stopped in at the Quidditch shop and got a copy of that magazine you mentioned – you might not remember, it was a while ago. Just to have a look, and things. I never knew you could get so many types of broom – but then, look at cars, or even simple things like shoes. So I suppose it's not that surprising. It was great to be back in the Wizarding world again, apart from my visit to Mai's and babysitting the Martin kids. That went really well, by the way, her brother and sister are nice and it was great being in a wizarding household, there's so much done by magic! I never imagined quite how much could be. Her sister's starting this year, like Theresa, she's very shy (unlike Terry, who's – well, Terry.) It was good to see Mai again, as well, we had a good talk and she told me some more stuff about the war that isn't in the paper but her father hears about. He used to be some sort of diplomat, or something. 

Diagon Alley was quieter than normal, the attacks I guess – I hate it how everything comes back to that. But all the shops were still there, and Theresa spent a very long time looking in the window of the pet shop, declaring her intention to get a cat if she's allowed one. I think I might ask Mum if Nicola and Ed and I can chip in for one for a birthday present for her, it'd be something nice (if stretching the budget a little.) If she does get a cat, I just hope it leaves Gwaihir alone. And your Bronwyn when she's over delivering letters. Mind you, they're both fairly big owls, aren't they, so the cat might be the one in trouble! I don't actually mind cats that much, but I like having an owl better. So much more useful. Speaking of animals, if you don't mind me askingwhy can you see Thestrals? Don't tell me if you don't want to. It's just morbid curiosity. 

Anyway, I've rambled on for quite long enough – if you haven't got bored and wandered off to play the piano or something!   
Love   
Anne 

PS Jokes as well? You _have_ been corrupted. I'd try to cackle, but unfortunately I'm writing, so I can't. You'll just have to imagine it. 

__

August 12, 1996  
Anne,  
Do you want to meet in Diagon Alley on the twenty-third? That's when I'm going in to get my school stuff, I think Ellie is too, we should try and get together. You'll be coming with your sister, of course, is she looking forward to Hogwarts? I know I couldn't wait, when I got my letter. Has she got a wand yet?   
I'm a bit scared by everything that's been happening, to be honest, so many people have got killed and it's been just a couple of weeks. What's happening? They seem to be going for Ministry people and their families. We should all be okay, but I just don't know. 

Enough of the gloomy stuff, guess what, Chris has been writing to me! Isn't that cool? I mean, how many boys write letters? And they're pretty long ones too. I really think I might be lucky herecross your fingers! Only three more weeks till school starts and I can see him again, too! Why does time go so slowly in the holidays?

See you,   
Gabby

__

August 14, 1996  
Dear Anne  
Yes, I have seen my father. He stopped in briefly, but he couldn't stay too long, because, well, you know. Our house is quite isolated – out in the Yorkshire moors, it's a big done-up farmhouse, hence "The Grange" – but even so the Ministry are going to be keeping an eye on us after this, an eye on everyone who has family who were in the breakout. Post owls are notoriously hard to catch, though, so I doubt they'll be reading this. I hope not, anyway. I cringe at the thought of some Auror reading my ramblings about how much I hate Care of Magical Creatures, or on broomsticks. Or anything I've written, really. They would probably find it quite amusing. These letters are very dangerous, have you noticed that? It's so easy to pour your heart out, almost as bad as having a diary, because it's not face to face and you know it's only going to go to one person. I find I'm letting myself say more in these letters than I think I ever did in the five or so months I knew you at Hogwarts. It's oddly disturbing. But then again, you seem to be writing almost as much, and I'd hate to stop. As much as part of me says it's dangerous, it also feels quite safe having someone to talk to. Not talk, of course, since there are letters, but – discuss things with, might be a better term. 

And enough of the philosophy. You do make me talk far too much. Even when you're all the way down in Essex I can still see you listening so attentively, leaning against the table in that practice room with your flute in one hand. You're frowning slightly, and tapping your fingers on the flute, giving whatever it is I'm saying far more attention than it actually deserves. You manage to listen even when you aren't, somehow. I just brood. It's a far less attractive quality. 

Good God, I am rambling. Almost as bad as some of your letters! And no offence meant, but you can drift off topic startlingly at times. Not that it isn't interesting, of course – it's always interesting. Believe me, I have never abandoned a letter of yours in favour of the piano. And all this is an attempt to _not_ talk about my father, not that I don't want to tell you, but the topic is currently rather unsettling. My mother is a lot happier, even if Dad isn't actually home. She knows he's not in Azkaban. I'm happier, knowing that. Even with knowing what he is – I hate the thought of him locked up. He's like me. We both like the moors, the open places. He hated Azkaban, I can tell. Even without the Dementors, he looked so much older than the last time I saw him – then again, that was Christmas. He was quite happy with my results, although he was disappointed I failed Care of Magical Creatures. I didn't care, but I felt bad about it because he felt bad, you know? I hate disappointing my parents. In fact, he was quite cross with me. Mum would have been cross, but she's been so off in her own world this summer that she let it drop. I could wish that had continued, but if I want to have both my parents there, then I have to take the rough with the smooth, and this is one of those things. It felt so – safe, just for a couple of hours, because he was back and I have the residual childhood belief that my parents can keep me safe. They can't, I know, but it isn't a rational thing. I wish he'd been able to stay longer – but then he might have been caught, and that would be – not good. 

On the other hand, I'm afraid about my father being out, not because of him, but because of what it means. There've been attacks already, and now with more Death Eaters there'll be more. I'm safe, but you just may not be – and what about everyone else? I keep seeing us going back to a Hogwarts where half the students are gone, and I hate it. People there may not be friends, they may not be Slytherins, but – if they died or something because of what they are – that would be – terrible. That sounds like a cliché, but it's what I mean. I don't like the idea of people I know just dying. I thought I wouldn't care at all, but now the threat has become a reality I find I dislike it very much. And yet people will die, and part of that will be because my father is free, and I'm happy he is, which makes me feel vaguely guilty even though I have never done nor have any intention of doing anything for the Dark Lord. 

As you have said, everything does keep coming back to this, doesn't it? The war, the consequences, the choices. More for me than you, but even so – I would give anything for life to go back to fourth year, when all we had to worry about was watching the Triwizard Tournament and hoping Diggory won it. (I'm assuming that as a Hufflepuff you supported him.) Death and danger are so much more palatable when they're in a controlled environment – for rather obvious reasons. And most especially happening to people who have volunteered. No one volunteers to be a victim. Watching someone die – it's not exactly pleasant. To answer your question: I saw my cousin die, which is why I can see the Thestrals. I was eight.   
This is depressing, so I'll tell you the why and how another time. 

Right. Happy thoughts. How is your brother's, what was it, cricket going? Are you practising your flute a lot? Is your sister learning any magic, and is she driving you crazy with it? Do you wish you were back at Hogwarts? Don't the holidays go slowly when bad things are happening, or maybe it's faster, what do you think? Am I rambling? 

Yours   
Theo

PSI finally worked out what I meant by all that nonsense at the top of the letter about you listening. And what's responsible for the sentimental bits we've been discussing. I miss you. It made far more sense when I re-read it, not that it makes all that much sense, but that was the gist of it.   
T. 

****

Memo  
Auror Division  
To: Henry Phillips  
Hal mate,  
I almost feel bad after reading that last letter from the Nott kid. It did have some useful info – we can try and track down Eric Nott, and if we know he was at home some time between the thirteenth and the fifteenth, it's all databut still, it is a bit off reading other people's letters. Especially that sort – teenagers, they're so clueless it's cute.   
On the other hand, it has a funny kinda fascination. Sort of like watching Home and Away. You know you shouldn't be, and you feel like you're prying, but you keep wanting to see what comes next. Funny, I never reckoned to be doing something like this when I signed up to be an Auror – still you learn something new every day, don't you?  
Dion

PS The actual point of this memo was to "request your thoughts on the latest intercepted correspondence" – that's what I told Hartley I was doing, interfering cow. I could come over and talk to you, but I like making the paper planes far too much to do that. 

****

Memo  
Auror Division  
To: Dion Archer  
Dion,  
Agree with what you said. Mainly when I was reading that bit where he speculated if we could be reading it – I just hope he never finds out that someone was reading his letters.   
By the way, why are we sending memos when we're just across the room from each other? And what in Merlin's name is "Home and Away"? My dad's Muggleborn, but that's not anything he's ever mentioned  
Hal

****

Memo  
Auror Division  
To: Henry Phillips  
Hal,  
We're sending memos because it's almost lunchtime, I've finished what I'm doing, and even with the hard yakka we're putting in now I can't be stuffed telling Jo I've finished and getting a whole lot more. I'll do that _after_ lunch. Coming over and talking to you'd be too obvious.   
As for Home and Away, it's a TV programme, soap opera type thing, but it's from back in Aussie so you wouldn't know it. It's kinda like your Coro St only lower grade.   
Dion

__

August 16, 1996  
Dear Theo,  
I'm glad to hear you got to see your father. The news has been so depressing what with the attacks getting more frequent, and more people dying, it's nice to know someone got something happy out of it. Oh drat, that sounds awful. I mean, obviously people are going to be happy about this in a nasty way, the ones who are doing it, but I was glad that something innocently happy came out of it. If that's the phrase – not really, but you know what I mean, don't you? You're right, I'm way better at listening than I am at talking. I always seem to get my thoughts mixed up, or they come out wrong, and when it's something like this that's the last thing you want. Then again, this is the type of topic where it's so hard to find the right thing to say anyway, so I guess it's not surprising. You were right about letters being – well, you said dangerous, but the word I'd use is addictive, because it's so impossible to say some things face to face. Not to mention embarrassing. It's like keeping a diary, you can say anything you want to, or almost. I did that for my first year at Hogwarts, just to keep a handle on things because I was so far away from home, but I gave it up in second year, after I got closer to the other girls. It was too hard too keep up, and anyway, they kept wanting to read it, and I like all of them, but – there's stuff you don't want to tell anyone, or at least, not most people. There's things I'd write to you I wouldn't tell them, but then, there are definitely things I discuss with the girls I wouldn't be writing to you about (that is, unless you want to carry on a conversation about whether Ron Weasley is really as cute as Harry Potter. And no, this is not a topic I willingly talk about. I blame it all on Gabby.) But I do tell you more than almost anyone else. You're not so bad at listening, yourself. You don't make me feel like an idiot – okay, you used to quite a lot, or at least you made me feel like you thought I was an idiot. But you don't anymore, and certainly not in any of these letters, so forget I said that. And forget about the Thestrals thing. It's not any of my business. 

I've been teaching Theresa some magic, although it's difficult since I can't demonstrate. So far we've done Wingardium Leviosa, some of the really basic charms in my first-year textbook, and _Reparo_. I figured it would be a good idea to have her able to fix broken things – at least for the next two weeks, until we go back! Do you have any ideas about what else I should teach her? She's having quite a lot of trouble, since she is just starting out, but she's getting better fast. Ollivander was right about her wand. She tends to not do things for ages and then overdo them, but her control is improving. At least, she hasn't blown anything up yet, and that's definitely a good thing! I've finished all my homework, yay, even that awful Potions essay, so I can relax until school starts again – I wish they didn't give us homework over the summer holidays, it seems unfair, but there's not much you can do about it is there? 

As for my brother's cricket team, nice of you to ask, they're winning quite a few of their games, I think. My brother was really happy because he got three wickets in their last game – he's a bowler, that's the one who throws the ball at the batsman. Of course he bats as well but bowlers don't score as many runs normally. Oh, and something else – turns out one of the summer players for their team goes to Hogwarts! Not anyone I know, he's going into third year Gryffindor, and he comes from quite a ways away. I only found out because I went along to watch one of the games, Ed was going on about it – I try to do things with him, since I'm away most of the year – and his wand fell out of his cricket bag after the game, so I asked him about it. I wasn't surprised he was carrying it, really, he's half-and-half and with all the attacks people are nervous. 

Nicola is the only one without something to keep her busy, so she's been watching me try to teach Terry magic – she keeps making comments about how she wants to be able to do it. Still, she does keep pretty quiet, so I can't really complain. I do, of course, but then that's what siblings are for. I wouldn't not have them for anything. 

Rambling and sentimentality in letters have to be directly linked, I swear.   
Love  
Anne

PS I sort of figured it out. About missing me. In case you didn't know, I do miss you, too. 

__

August 18, 1996  
Dear Anne  
I think you need to teach your sister some defensive spells. I know that she's only starting at Hogwarts, but she could use them and anyone can master the Bodybind Jinx if they practice long enough. Or the Leg-Locker Curse. Just think, you get to be target practice, isn't that going to be fun? 

But I'm quite serious. With things the way they are, you need someone in the house who knows those spells, since you can't use magic – not that you'd get in trouble if your family was attacked and you used magic, but two have better odds than one. She won't be officially not allowed to use magic until after she starts Hogwarts, so take advantage of the opportunity. And when your sister does start at Hogwarts, they'll be useful too. With the war, quite a few of my House are going to feel entirely justified about picking on some of the Muggleborn first and second years who will presumably be unable to defend themselves, and if she already knows some spells like that – even if she can't do them right all the time – then she'll be ahead of the game. And, of course, the image of Malfoy going after some supposedly defenceless first-year and ending up petrified is a particularly pleasant one, I have to tell you. Watching him be nasty to the younger kids all of last year was – slightly uncomfortable. It wasn't as if they were doing anything to him, after all, even if they were only first-years. I see no point in unjustified attacks. They merely make you enemies – Malfoy certainly has enough! The only people in my year and House who seem to realise this are Blaise Zabini and Tracey Davis. They both keep very quiet, but Zabini is a bit odd. He may not be doing what Malfoy does, but I'm not entirely sure I'd trust him not to if no one was looking. Of course, there are very few people I trust entirely, so this isn't too much of a surprise. 

I said I'd tell you about my cousin, so I will. It's not some big secret, or anything. He was Celia and Lucas's older brother, two years older than me. They were over visiting one day, and he'd brought his new broom; I was insanely jealous, because I didn't have one. He said I could have a ride on it, so we sneaked out while the adults were talking. As soon as we were outside, he flew off; he wasn't going to let some whiny eight-year-old on his new broom. I yelled after him, but he ignored me. I don't know if you know Yorkshire at all, but there are some quite steep bluffs, and he flew straight out over one near our house. It doesn't look like there's a drop, but there is. He must have got a fright, or lost control, or – I don't know. I saw him disappear. I waited, and he didn't come back. I was scared to go back to the house – we weren't supposed to be out there – so I climbed down the sheep-track, instead. It took me about ten minutes. I wasn't supposed to do that, either. 

He wasn't dead, when I got there. Wizards – well, we're hard to kill. More so than Muggles, at any rate. But he wasn't unconscious, either. Just lying there, with his neck all wrong, and his eyes closed. I shook him by the shoulders, to make him open his eyes. I know that's the worst thing to do, now. I didn't then. He did look at me. He said he couldn't feel anything. That was all. Theo, I can't feel it. It should hurt but I can't feel it. There was blood coming out of his mouth. I remember that more than anything; the sun through the clouds, the new growth on the field, and the blood trickling down his face and onto the ground. Then he closed his eyes again. I _saw_ him die. I don't know if you'll quite understand that; I mean I could tell. Whoever says the dead look like they're sleeping – well, they're wrong. I can't describe it, but you know. You can't miss it. I didn't bother trying to make him wake up again. I was eight, but I wasn't stupid. So I just stayed there. My mother came to look for us, eventually. It had cleared up, that was the worst thing. All the clouds were gone, and it was sunny and still. Even the wind had died. And I was just kneeling there beside him because you can't run away from death, and that's the only way I knew how to deal with it; run. I told them he was dead when I found him. It was easier. 

That's half the reason I'm running from being a Death Eater. I know what death means, and it's not pretty or fair or fun. I couldn't do that, kill someone, because I know if I did I'd just see Kenneth. Because I realised then that if he could die, it could have been me. It could be anyone else I cared about. Malfoy, the others, they don't know what that means; they think death is easy. 

That's what I hate about this war; it could be me, it could be you. I don't want that, and the Dark Lord deals death too easily. 

In other news, as they say, I had quite an interesting conversation with our house-elf the other day. I haven't really talked to it before, you don't. Not to mention that their goal in life is to keep out of sight, so it isn't as if I see it around the place all that much. And with my mother in the mood she has been this summer, it's been keeping a very low profile. I don't blame it, I've been doing the same. Anyway, it asked me whether my father would be home anytime soon. I had no idea that it cared about our family at all – but then again, house-elves are attached to particular families, so I shouldn't have been that surprised. I had to tell it that I didn't know when or if he would be back for very long, of course. It was quite upset. It turns out that it has very strong opinions on any member of my family living anywhere except home – because we belong here, according to it. I suppose it's right. I think I will have to leave once I finish Hogwarts; because of the war, if nothing else, and I have a feeling this war may be as long as the last, as horrible as that would be. But I will miss home, very much. I like our house; it's big, and old, and rambling, and there's all sorts of hidden nooks and crannies that you can curl up into with a book on a rainy day. There's always somewhere else to discover. My mother feels that it's not quite appropriate, as she puts it; too lower class, because it's obvious it was once a farmhouse. I don't care. It feels like home – it is my home, and I'll always want to come back. I love the countryside here, too – it's so wild and open. You just know that there aren't any people for miles, and there's nothing in the way of the sky. That's one of the reasons I like Hogwarts – it's in the middle of the country, and you can see the stars at night. Astronomy is one of my favourite subjects; but I prefer, when I'm looking at the stars, to just look at all of them. Not just one, through a telescope. You live in a town, so you probably know what the sky is like there, but it's nothing compared to the sky at night in the country. It's magnificent. 

Love from  
Theo

PS You are certainly right about rambling and sentimentality. I was practically waxing poetic. Help. 

__

August 19, 1996 (about midnight)  
Anne,  
Dad got back. There was an attack in your town, I heard him say. He was there. Tell me you're okay, tell me it wasn't you. As fast as you can.   
Theo

__

August 20, 1996  
Theo,  
I'm okay. So's my family.  
No, I'm not, but – not like you meant.   
I'll write later.  
Anne


	4. Shadows Waiting

****

A/N:Last chapter. A sixth-year fic is very dependent on whether a decent plot presents itself, as Distractions wove itself around OoTP. But in the meantime there's Today is a Gift, and a seventh-year fic, surprisingly enough, is making itself persistently felt. We'll seeafter the holiday season!

****

Chapter Four – Shadows Waiting

__

August 20, 1996  
Dear Theo,

No, it wasn't us. We're okay, all my family. Well, not okay, but unharmed, alive. But I knew there was an attack. I saw it this morning when I got up early, the Dark Mark hanging in the air, green and – have you ever seen it? I don't suppose so. It was close, too close, right out of my bedroom window when I got up and opened the curtains. We had a visit from an Obliviator who was coming round to modify all the Muggles' memories – we're not listed as a wizarding household, so they had to check. You'll probably have seen in the paper who it was, by now. I mean, the Daily Prophet loves to rack up panic, doesn't it. I'm rambling, aren't I? Not surprising. I'm sitting in our living room, at the table, looking out the window. It's such a lovely day I should be outside, but I'm just too scared. This was too close. 

They killed them. The Martins, that is, down the road, the parents and Elise and Hector. Andy, Andromache, she's okay – no, not okay, but she's alive. They said the Death Eaters didn't realise she was there – she was having a bad night, she has those sometimes, nightmares. I know from when I've babysat her. Her parents let her sleep in their bed when that happens. So she was asleep in their bed, and when her parents went downstairs because they heard a noise, or whatever did happen, they left her there. The Death Eaters didn't see her when they came for her sister and her brother. Elise and Hector. God, Theo, they were so young! Elise was going to be a second year, she was such a bright girl – I hate saying was – and dedicated, and I _liked_ her. I could talk to her. She was a Hufflepuff, you know. Huge smile and sunny nature and the loudest yell of anyone when we were winning at Quidditch. Hector was a bit annoying, he was seven, but he wasn't all that bad. He played with Nicola a lot, they used to build forts and climb trees and play castles. Nicola loved it. And the parents, Priam and Roberta, they were so wonderful when I found out I was a witch, they came over and explained everything, and Roberta took me and Mum to Diagon Alley that first time, she's a Muggle, but she knows everything about the wizarding world. They told my parents about the Death Eaters. They were there for me when my parents didn't understand, about the basilisk or the Triwizard Tournament or Cedric Diggory. This summer, they were there to tell about what it was like with Dumbledore gone and Umbridge and her Inquisition Squad – to ask if they'd heard anything more than what the Prophet said – my link to our world. Priam Martin put up some wards on our house, just in case, but the wards on theirs didn't help them, not at all. Roberta was over here just yesterday to ask me if I wanted to baby-sit for them this Saturday. They were going to a dinner party at some friends'. They lived through the first war, they told me about it, how this happened. How people came home or woke up to see the Dark Mark floating over someone's house, and they'd know. And now they're dead and they didn't do anything and God, Theo, I'm scared. Why them? I know there've been attacks for the last few weeks but I never thought it'd be them, or us, or anyone close. Some neighbours of my friend Ellie's were killed the other day but – I never thought it'd happen here. 

Andromache's at our house, at the moment. She never heard anything, never saw it. When the Aurors got there they found her still asleep in her parents' bed. They asked us to look after her, since we knew her, until they can contact her next-of-kin. She has an uncle who's a wizard, apparently, her mum's brother – that's how her mum met a wizard, through her brother. She's so lucky, to have that, to be alive. I'll miss her. When she goes, of course. She's being very quiet, it's not like her, she's so bubbly, she's always telling stories or asking for them. She was told about her parents and her brother and sister. I don't think she understands. They say you can't, if you're younger than seven, you just know they're not there anymore. Maybe that's best. No, best would be if they were still alive. 

God, I'm depressed. Write back soon. I need to talk – well, not talk, but – you know what I mean. No one else here knows the wizarding world quite well enough. Dad's at work, Mum's inslight shock, I think. She never quite understood that this is a war. People will die, are dying. I might. Theresa's reading. Edmund's off at a cricket game. Nicola's somewhere. No one to talk to, really. I think I'll go tell Andy a story. Maybe we'll both feel better. 

Now I really am rambling. I'd better stop. Write back soon. I need – what I _need_ is to talk to you. What I'm going to get is a letter. Poor second right now. 

Love  
Anne

****

Memo  
Auror Division  
To: Johanna Beaumont

Jo,   
Hal's right. This is definitely not something we need to waste our time on trying to crack the code – it all matches up. There _is_ a Muggleborn witch called Anne Fairleigh resident at the address, she is in Hufflepuff, she does have a sister who recently received her Hogwarts letter, and she did know the Martins – they were the nearest wizarding family, and since they were victims of the latest attack, I think we can pretty safely rule out them using her name in some way to send and receive letters. Especially if you look at the letter from her to Nott jr about the deaths – that's the reaction of someone very cut up, and besides, I talked to Pip Summers, who helped on that case, and the youngest daughter did go to the Fairleighs for the day after. It's genuine. There isn't anything going on here. Well, Nott's father might argue the point if he wasn't in Azkaban, but from our point of view this can only be a good thing – one less future Death Eater on our hands. However, I _do_ reckon we should keep looking at the letters – you never know, Nott might let something slip that we could use, and as long as he's unaware of it, we can use it.   
Regards  
Dion

__

August 21, 1996  
Anne, are you alright? I mean, that attack yesterday, that was really close to where you livedo you know those people? Elise Martin was in our House, I don't remember her very well but if you don't know them – she was the tallish brown-haired first-year who fell into that swamp the Weasley twins made and had to be hauled out by Filch. It's getting awfully close to home, isn't it? People who lived near Ellie, people who lived near you. 

I got an owl from Gabby, I'm going to go and see her and Ellie on the twenty-third in Diagon Alley. Mai can't make it, she's got some family thing, I think it might be her sister's birthday. I'd almost forgotten her sister would be starting school this year – I wonder if she'll be in our House? Can you come to Diagon Alley? Gabby said you hadn't mentioned it. We'll be seeing each other in ten days anyway, not very long at all. The summer holidays get shorter and shorter every year, it's like it's deliberate or something. 

Love  
Sarah

PS I almost forgot I hadn't mentioned it to you – I'm the prefect for Hufflepuff for our year! I'm so excited, I thought it'd be Ellie or Mai! I wonder which boy is the other one? 

__

August 22, 1996  
Dear Anne,

I don't quite know how to put this, but I – I suppose the traditional way to put it would be I'm sorry. For you, for there being an attack so close to your home – for people you know dying. It would be untrue to say I feel sorry for your neighbours, because I never knew them. Except, of course, in your mentions of them in your letters. I do feel badly about the youngest – Andromache – it must be very hard for her, suddenly having her family taken away like that. I've never really thought of the war in this way before; I've always seen it as a conflict in which I may be forced to choose sides, but in which I would participate (if I was ever forced to) as – not as a victim. Not as someone who is in danger from it. Knowing you are is one thing, knowing friends of yours have actually died – it's quite another. It brings it much closer, somehow – I can look back at your letters and see the Martins through your eyes, as real people, and now they're gone. This war is nasty, even if it has barely begun. It's the innocents who are dying, because they are being targeted – people who haven't done anything. I suppose that's the crux of why I don't want to work for the Dark Lord; I couldn't go out and kill someone just because I was told to, just for what they are. It wouldn't be worth it. Typical selfish Slytherin, aren't I? No moral conviction. Just the knowledge that it wouldn't be worth it to me. 

I find I really don't know what to say, now or at home. My father – he was there. I'm quite sure of it, it's why I wrote to you scared that it _was_ you. That had to be one of the worst nights of my entire life to date, waiting for your owl to tell me that you were okay. I had no idea what I would say if – how could I face my father after that? How can I now, knowing about your neighbours? But I find it hard to connect the two. I know what my father is, but when I see him, somehow all I can see is my father – someone who has never been anything but caring towards me. He's my father. What else can I say? I can't look at him and see someone who would do what I know he does, even though I know it. It's really quite odd. I think it makes more sense if I think about the way I still see you – I stopped seeing you as merely a Muggleborn, because I knew you and you weren't everything I had been told Muggleborns were. I can't see my father as a Death Eater, as – I can barely _think_ it – a murderer, because he is my father. I think it will take an awful lot to change that, and whatever could is not something I want to happen. So I'm just not going to think about it. That's probably the best idea. Then again, burying my head in the sand won't solve anything – but what other options do I have? I am rather glad I can write to you about this, seeing as we've discussed it in part already. Certainly there's no one else I could talk to about it – my mother would never understand, but I have the feeling she does the same thing about Dad. Deliberately forgets what he does. But she supports it, I know, so maybe it doesn't affect her, knowing? Not really something I can ask, is it?

I've been flying more, lately. I can do that because the house is so isolated, so it's not as if any Muggles will see me. Flying just for fun isn't something I normally do, but it's a way of getting out of the house, and I've been needing to do that more and more. It's a distraction. Like playing music, like Saturdays were before we started talking about things outside of music. Do you do that? Do things to avoid having to worry or think? I somehow doubt it. You're far too clear-headed. 

Love from  
Theo

__

August 25, 1996  
Dear Theo

Thanks. That was – I know what you were trying to say. It's hard, isn't is, to write down these sort of things. I remember fumbling over what to say about your father – the issue gets so clouded in this sort of situation that you know what you feel, what you mean, but it's difficult to put it into words. They're so impractical sometimes, it's so easy to mess things up. That's why I prefer talking face to face; on one hand, you can't say as much as you would in a letter, but on the other hand, you can read someone's face and know what they mean without them having to stumble around trying to say it. 

Andy's gone. Her uncle came to pick her up, her mother's brother. He was very nice, and Andy was so happy to see him, but it's still hard – she doesn't understand. She keeps asking when her parents are going to come back, when she can go home, where Hector and Elise – except she calls them "Hekkie" and "Lise" – are. When you tell her they're not coming back, she just keeps asking where they are. She doesn't understand, not at all, and it breaks my heart to have to try and explain. My parents have been so wonderful. I know that they can't protect me, but they can – they can be there, and they can look after Andy. It's impossible not to feel safe, even if I know they're Muggles and there'd be nothing they could do if it was us. Andy's uncle – Ted Tonks, he was called – talked to Mum and Dad a bit about what's happening, and the war, and all that. He's Muggleborn, so he knows what it's like to suddenly find out about this whole different world, and to have to deal with a war as well. His daughter's an Auror, apparently – she was hurt at that incident at the Ministry in June when your dad was – you know. I think my parents felt better after talking to him. At least Andy will be safe, or as safe as she can be. But I'll miss her so much. And Hector, and Elise, and looking after them. It's awful, but – one of my first thoughts after I heard was that there went my babysitting job on Saturday. I feel like I shouldn't have thought it, but then I was so shocked I didn't have much control over anything. It was all too close. The funeral's taking a little while to organise, the Ministry haven't let the bodies go yet – it sounds so indifferent – so I won't be able to go, because it'll probably be after we go back. I wish I could, I think things like that are important to be able to say goodbye. Mum and Dad and the others will go, Theresa will be at Hogwarts, of course. Nicola is a little young for it, maybe, but Hector was her friend, they went to the same school, and Mum reckons she needs to understand. So do I, for that matter. Theresa was dreadfully upset about Elise, they were almost the same age so they got on better than Elise and I did. It was a pretty harsh awakening into what our world is going through – it almost made her not want to go to Hogwarts, but I've been getting her to practice some of those spells you suggested, on me – the sacrifices I go through! – and she can manage a couple of them, which is pretty good. So she's feeling more confident now. 

We're going to go to Diagon Alley on the twenty-seventh, to buy our school things, books and all that. The list was quite short this year, but Theresa needs everything, of course, apart from schoolbooks, since mine are still lying around somewhere – I must go and have a look for them, I think they're in the bottom of my chest of drawers but I'm not sure. You know how it is with bedrooms, you put something somewhere, forget about it for two years, and it vanishes entirely. I need another quill and more ink and parchment and the usual things. It'll be nice to go back, I've been very lucky this summer – what with going to Mai's, and babysitting for the Martins', and the first trip to Diagon Alley, I've barely missed the wizarding world at all! Not to mention receiving quite regular owls from you, and others from my friends (whose letters are far less philosophical and far shorter, I must say.) And then back to Hogwarts next week – the summer's just flown by. Part of that it waking up every morning and seeing some new attack in the paper. Time flies when bad things are happening, and when you're having fun in the in between parts – well. 

Love   
Anne

August 26 1996  
Dear Anne,  
It was a shame you couldn't come and meet up with us in Diagon Alley. I managed to make it after all – my parents decided to take my sister shopping for her school things – so I caught up with the others at Fortescue's and we had a good goss. Gabby would not stop talking about Chris – we really need to do something about that. Sarah, however, seems to have entirely recovered from the whole Jeremy thing and was quite cheerful, instead of sulky like she normally is if we mention any of the boys in our year. It's almost enough to make me feel left out without a boyfriend, but I guess I'll live. We can be single together, right? 

Sarah mentioned you and your sister are going into Diagon Alley tomorrow to get her school things. She said you'd been teaching your sister some magic, she already had a wand – well, Peggy has hers, and she's been really keen on learning some spells. Jacob taught her a couple of easy ones, but he has this thing about not doing too much because then she won't be learning anything when she does them at school. (Peggy's so quiet, she actually thinks he's right. She's such a Ravenclaw, she'll definitely end up in there. Could be interesting – three of us in three Houses) 

See you in a few days  
Mai

PS I heard about your neighbours – you must feel awful. I remember Elise Martin, she was so upbeat and dedicated. And then, of course, there was the swamp incident which no one is going to forget. This war just sucks. 

__

August 26, 1996  
Anne,

Don't go to Diagon Alley tomorrow. Put it off, do it the next day, you'll be okay then, but you _can't go tomorrow_. I don't care what you do, don't go, stay right where you are! Don't let your family go either, it won't be safe, and your neighbours – that was too damn close anyway. Use whatever excuse you have to. I know you'll understand why.   
Trust me.   
Theo

__

August 27, 1996  
Theo,

Got your note this morning, your owl wouldn't let me leave it. We're sitting tight.   
Thanks.   
Anne

****

Memo  
Auror Division  
Re:Nott Correspondence  
To:Io Hartley

Io,  
Letter from Theodore Nott to his little girlfriend in Essex intercepted telling her to not go to Diagon Alley under any circumstances. I suggest we have a team sent there, he sounded pretty frightened about the idea of her going - I quote " I don't care what you do, don't go, stay right where you are! "

If nothing happens, we can waste a few people for a day, if something doesthis is the first good lead we've had on an attack prior to it happening, we need to follow through. Since Nott jr has no idea about the surveillance, and isn't telling anyone he's writing, the source won't be compromised. 

Johanna

****

Memo  
Minister of Magic's Office  
To:Io Hartley

Dear Ms Hartley,  
I would like to congratulate you and your team on the handling of the post surveillance for the families of known Death Eaters. Your quick action yesterday led to a team intercepting the attempted attack on Diagon Alley and preventing any civilian casualties. This is the first attack by Voldemort's forces we have managed to stop before it could go ahead all summer, and as such is sorely needed. You have all done an excellent job.   
Yours sincerely,   
Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic

__

August 28, 1996  
Theo,

I just saw the Daily Prophet about what happened yesterday in Diagon Alley. Thanks for the warning; if we'd been there, it could have been pretty bad. I know no one was killed, but stillI wonder how they knew? The Aurors must have some sort of intelligence network, I guess. This is a war, after all. Unless they managed to read the note you sent me – but I somehow doubt that. Who's going to be reading our letters? Apart from the attempts by my little sister, of course

We went today instead, on the basis that lightning doesn't strike twice. Mum is pretty upset about all of this, as you can imagine. First the Martins – which is close to home – and then me insisting that we can't go on a shopping trip we've been planning for weeks. I had to practically beg to get her to not go. It wasn't precisely easy – I didn't want to mention you, exactly, so I put it along the lines of "someone I know knows someone who knows about this sort of thing and it's really not safe." She was unhappy about it, but we didn't go in the end - Theresa was really put off with me. She was looking forward to getting her school things. Everyone accepted it after I showed them the Daily Prophet this morning, though. Then I had to sit through this barrage of questions on _how_ I'd known. And why if someone had told me they hadn't told anyone else. End result, they know that someone from school told me, but that's all. Nothing about you, or your parents, or even your House. My parents have always been sort of cagey about magic and our world mixing with theirs, and they're even more so now. I think they've decided it's easier not to know, I don't blame them. I wish I could sometimes, but then I couldn't go back to Hogwarts, and I'd die before doing that. 

As it is, my stuff's all bought and packed – we have a new Defence textbook, thankfully, I'll be interested to see how it goes this year. I wonder who the teacher will be? Someone new, of course. Anyone would be better than Umbridge. Even another one like Moody or whoever he really was – he might have turned out to be a Death Eater, but we did at least learn stuff. It would be great to have Professor Lupin back, but that's not going to happen. He was such a great teacher. 

The other thing we did in Diagon Alley you might want to know about was buy Theresa a cat. We did it after we'd gone and got her robes and books and cauldron and potions things. I and Ed and Nicola, that is, for her birthday. We told her about it on her birthday, but we had to wait to get it. She's a scraggly little thing, bigger than a kitten but not quite a cat, with yellow-gold fur, really fluffy, like a Persian, and yellow eyes. She's a bitferal, I guess, but she likes Terry okay, it's only the rest of us she just tolerates. Theresa named her Medea, because she was doing Greek Myths at school or something at the end of last term, and Medea was in the legend of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Mind you, Medea was probably a historical figure – I'll have to look it up in the textbooks! I keep forgetting that sort of thing is real. 

I guess I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express – and we can talk on the first Saturday. Looking forward to it!

Love  
Anne

__

August 31 1996  
Dear Anne, 

It was a bit risky to tell you that, but as long as your family don't know I did, it isn't a problem. And as long as mine don't know I told you – not that I plan to tell them that! It wouldn't matter too much if your parents knew anyway, they are Muggles, but you know the saying, if three people know it isn't a secret. And, no offence, but I think your parents are probably never going to understand our world anyway. It'd be almost impossible, without magic. I have enough trouble understanding how the Muggle world works without it! All they ways they must have developed to work without magic. 

I'm looking forward to seeing what House your sister is placed in during the Sorting. I suppose it would be best if she was in Hufflepuff with you, but it would be funny if she got into Slytherin. Then again, that wouldn't be a very good thing. Muggleborns in our House tend to bear the brunt of people like Malfoy being jerks, and there wouldn't be too much I could do publicly to protect her. Probably best if she's in one of the other Houses. Her cat sounds – interesting. I'm not a cat person, myself. That is to say, I don't like cats, and they do not like me. With interest. I suppose that's another good reason to hope she's not in Slytherin. 

We got new Defence books, too, I was in Diagon Alley today. _Defensive Magic_ and _The Dark Arts: Wizarding Wars of the Twentieth Century. _Seems like we might be learning about the first war against the Dark Lord. We need to.I saw Potter, Granger and Weasley in Flourish and Blotts, actually. They seem to have survived the summer. Some things don't change – Malfoy will go and irritate them on the train, and they will either hex him or otherwise send him away. Malfoy will come back to our compartment in a bad temper and snap at us. I will ignore him. Crabbe and Goyle will be too thick to understand. Malfoy will mutter about what he's going to do to Potter this year, and will succeed at none of it. They will hex him into oblivion on the way home. But that's a long time away, and dependent on them – and us – surviving the intervening year, which is not necessarily going to happen. Potter has the Dark Lord after him, and Malfoy has Potter after him. I'm just trying to stay out of everyone's way, which is equally improbable at this point. I have, to be honest, this terrible feeling that at some point or another I am going to be forced to choose sides – not because I want to, but because it is unlikely neutrality will be allowed. I'll do my best, but – I know what I won't do, though, and that's be a Death Eater. After hearing Dad over the summerI couldn't do that. I couldn't murder anyone, I think, not unless it was my life at stake. Not because I have high moral principles about it, or anything, but simply because I don't want to be forced to _see_ anyone die, not if I can avoid it. And besides, the likely victims in this war are people like you. I very much don't want you to die. Being a Death Eater, in those circumstances, is far too hypocritical for me to swallow. But if I'm not going to work for the Dark Lord, the only other side available is Potter and those who are fighting him, and frankly I have no desire to do that either. The risk is very high and the chances of winning rather low. Which leaves me with very few options, at the moment. 

But then, it's still just over a year until I'm of age – I don't turn sixteen until a week after we return to school – and I have until then, maybe until the end of my seventh year, to decide. If I do choose to fight – if that is really the only option, although I hope it isn't – I can alwaysI don't know, ask Potter or something. After all, how does one sign up to be on the opposite side? It's not like becoming a Death Eater, is it? I remember telling you there was no good noun to describe us people who opposed the Dark Lord. Well, there's no good recruitment scheme either. It's easy enough for you, you're stuck there by being Muggleborn, but I really don't know how I'd join. Hopefully the issue won't arise. 

This is all extremely gloomy and depressing, so I'll leave it at that. I'm afraid I'm in a rather depressed mood today. I need you to come and be irritatingly calm and cheerful, or something of the sort. As it is, I'll see you very soon. I'm looking forward to it. 

Love   
Theo

PS Bring some nice cheerful music on Saturday, how's that for an idea? Ode to Joy? 

__

August 31, 1996  
Hey Anne,   
Know I'll see you tomorrow, but I wanted to say that I'm going to be dropped off at the train station a little early, so do you want to meet by the barrier about quarter to eleven and we'll go in together? If I don't see you by ten to I'll just go on in. Can't wait to have a proper talk, it seems to long since I've seen you! And so much has happened this summer – the world seems to be going crazy, I tell you.   
See you soon  
Ellie

****

Memo  
Auror Division  
To: Johanna Beaumont

Johanna,  
The intercepted copy of the latest letter from Nott jr has arrived, looks like it will be the last for now. A pity, no adult in any of the families being surveyed will be quite that candid in their writing, and we were receiving some useful information. Naïve teenagers can be useful, it seems – he clearly had no idea of the value of what he was saying to us. Although it did look like he is very anti his family's allegiances, which may have been a factor. But Dion and I both felt – and so did Edith when we asked her – that we'd rather not be reading these letters, felt a tad voyeuristic. After all, it isn't as if he was a Death Eater.   
Anyway, I've attached a copy of the letter, you can see for yourself.   
Regards  
Henry


End file.
